The “Google tax” will return to the EU finance ministers’ agenda on 7 September. However, whereas France and Spain are arguing in favour of the European plan, Germany seems to be hindering its adoption. EURACTIV France reports.

Despite the uproar following the publication of ‘sweetheart’ deals signed between member states and corporations, countries signed 2053 ‘secret’ unilateral tax agreements with companies in 2016, an increase of 64% compared to the previous year.

The European Movement and the Union of European Federalists held a discussion on Friday (13 October) in Sofia on the EU’s future with three prominent Bulgarian MEPs from three different political forces.

Corporation tax in France is too far above the European average, according to a report by the French Court of Auditors. The experts said a cut from 33.3% to 25% would allow companies to compete with their European counterparts. EURACTIV France reports.

EXCLUSIVE / The EU’s tax haven blacklist is taking shape, as the European Commission uses the momentum generated by the LuxLeaks and Panama Papers scandals. Tax Commissioner Pierre Moscovici did not rule out including the United States on the list, in interview with EURACTIV.com.

The European Commission has unveiled its latest action plan to harmonise corporate tax. After two past failures, the executive hopes the recent flurry of tax scandals will give the project a new lease of life. EURACTIV France reports.

Plans for a European Financial Transaction Tax have not advanced since 2012. Now the Commission wants to have the project wrapped up by the end of the year, setting a precedent for an EU-wide corporation tax. EURACTIV France reports.

British finance minister George Osborne plans to slash corporation tax to under 15 percent to tempt businesses to stay following the country's shock vote to leave the European Union, the Financial Times reported Sunday (3 July).

Some 11 multinationals gave patchy responses to questions on their tax practices from the MEPs of the special committee on tax rulings (TAXE) on Monday, ending months of procrastination. EURACTIV France reports

In a last minute move, Facebook and Google announced Friday (23 October) that they will appear before the European Parliament next month to be grilled by MEPs on their controversial tax arrangements, Parliament officials said.

Thousands of so-called "politically exposed persons", or PEPs - a category that includes heads of state and other top officials - hold Swiss bank accounts, a Swiss foreign ministry official said yesterday (24 August).

The European Commission presented an Action Plan on Wednesday (17 June) to reform corporate taxation in the EU. The largest political groups in the European Parliament reacted positively to the initiative, suggesting that Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has consolidated his powerbase among MEPs following the Luxleaks scandal.

The German, French and Italian finance ministers have urged the European Commission to draw up EU-wide laws to curb corporate tax avoidance and prevent member states from offering lower taxes to attract investors.

Responsible corporations paying their taxes and revealing their ownership structure could be a possible solution in the fight of Europe against tax evasion and tax havens which cost billions of euro annually. EURACTIV Czech Republic reports.

Paris has long backed the idea of an across-the-board harmonisation of EU member states' tax systems. According to French government advisors, this must begin by a common tax base for the European banking sector, EURACTIV France reports.

SPECIAL REPORT / EU leaders responding to the public outcry over tax evasion by multinational companies have triggered a quest for pan-European solutions to tax fraud, but the debate has also enabled the European Commission to return to a controversial proposal for a Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base (CCCTB).

A meeting of finance ministers in Brussels will see France and Germany present plans to align their national corporate tax regimes, as the European Commission's own attempt at EU-level harmonisation has so far failed to garner the required unanimity among the 27 member states.

The EU wants to allow companies to file one single European tax return to avoid unnecessary administrative burdens, but the Irish government and businesses claim the move is an affront to Ireland's low corporate tax in all but name.

The European Commission is preparing fresh proposals for a common consolidated corporate tax base (CCCTB) this year, but views diverge between Brussels, Paris and Berlin over the objectives of the plan.